Betula nigra ‘Heritage’

Heritage River Birch comes from the southern states of the USA, and is amongst the most tolerant birch for sites too dry or too skeletal for Silver Birch, B. pendula. Unlike many other selections, River Birch is a river bottom species that will tolerate periods of inundation in winter or spring, and dry, cracking soils in summer. In north America, this birch is also far more heat tolerant than B. pendula.

River Birch will normally grow to be slightly larger than Silver Birch, and typically does not have the smooth white bark that Silver Birch is famous for. The selection ‘Heritage’ has peeling amber bark that is extremely attractive year-round. Like all birches, ‘Heritage’ has excellent foliage—dark lustrous green in summer and butter yellow in autumn.

As a young tree, Heritage River Birch has pyramidal form, but as the tree ages, it can become oval-to-round-headed and up to 8m broad. If you purchase stock that has had appropriate formative pruning, little maintenance pruning will be needed over the life of this tree.

Typical mature height:

10-12m

Useful in:

many situations

Sites for best growth:

organic soils, irrigated